When do you begin Latin?

[scgirl816]

Hi everyone,

 

New here and to homeschooling. I guess I could have decided a little earlier in the summer so I could have spent a few weeks researching, but hey...I like to do things under pressure. ;)

 

Anyway, I have a 4 yr old (5 in October) who I will be homeschooling this year. We're deadset on a classical education for him. We may move him to a Christian classical school for a 2 day program in a couple of years, but for now he is with me. We've been working on 100 Easy Lessons and a bunch of workbooks. He loves the workbooks and does them for fun, which I love! Looking at Saxon Math. Bible lessons and scripture memorization. Not sure what else to add at this point...today is my first day researching. Loving this forum!

 

Anyway, my main question is...in what grade do you begin Latin (and/or Greek)?

 

And any other advice or random thoughts you'd like to give me, I'll be happy to receive!!!

 

Rebekah

[TwinMominTX]

I plan to start Latin with my twins when we are in 4th grade - after we've had a good year of solid English grammar. That said, they are already learning some Latin vocabulary through Classical Conversations and English from the Roots Up.

[WTMCassandra]

I asked SWB this question lo these many years ago, and she told me:

 

You can start Latin when they are reading really solidly and know enough grammar to identify subjects, verbs, and adjectives.

 

This level of expertise is typically around 3rd grade.

 

I found this to be solid advice. And if you start with a young one, try Prima Latina. They could even do the workbook exercises orally for a while if the writing is too much.

[NancyNellen]

third grade here.

[nmoira]

I started my oldest in K, but she was already reading well and had a good grasp of grammar. I don't plan to start my youngest until she's working at a similar level... my best guess is 3rd or 4th grade.

[Laura Corin]

My older son started Latin when he was about seven, but began seriously at eight or nine. My younger son chose to begin Greek when he was eight and is beginning Latin at nine.

 

Laura

[AudreyTN]

Officially, after my kids are reading fluently. My ds6 (still learning to read) is picking up on some vocab, but he's not required to do any Latin yet.

[modest-mama]

I have a professor dh who knows Latin for his work and we start our boys on Latin in first grade. I think it is easiest when they can read independently.

[eternalknot]

My son is an advanced reader, but remedial speller. I had planned to begin a gentle introduction in 2nd grade (just learning letter sounds and a few basic phrases) and then begin full swing in 3rd grade. Instead we spent 2nd grade really focusing on his spelling, and he spent half of the year teaching himself the Greek alphabet. I'd like to put off Latin until 4th grade, but he is eager to learn NOW so I want to take advantage of that. We'll do our gentle introduction this Fall and begin in earnest come Spring.

[LibraryLover]

We haven't chosen a formal program for our youngest, either. I am grappling with this again.

[LibraryLover]

My older son started Latin when he was about seven, but began seriously at eight or nine. My younger son chose to begin Greek when he was eight and is beginning Latin at nine.

 

Laura

 

 

What did you use?

[Guest janainaz]

We started in 3rd grade with Prima Latina. It was very simple.

[Jami]

We played with Prima Latina in 1st and 2nd grade. We concentrated on learning the prayers, which my kids really enjoyed.

 

This year (3rd) we've started Latina Christiana and it's going great so far. :)

[my2boysteacher]

I've struggled with this same question. I've decided to delay another year until my boys are in 3rd and 4th grades.

We really need to focus on grammar and spelling this year so it should come easier to them next year.

[SeekingSimplicity]

I'm only doing latin in earnest with my 4th grader, who has a good grasp on reading, spelling, grammar. But my 8yo and 4 yo are both doin latin with School Song Latin. They listen to the CD and I ask them questions from the workbook. I don't expect them to get it on the same level as my 4th grader, tho. I'm just exposing them to it for now.

[Tammy]

n

[Moni]

4th PL

5th LC1

6th LC2

7th/8th Henle FY and start Greek.

 

10th third language at the Community College

 

:seeya:

Edited August 18, 2009 by Moni

[Emmy]

I'm starting latin when they are done with phonics. For my oldest that was 2nd grade, for my 2nd son it will probably be 3rd grade.

[Aletheia Academy]

We've been using Song Achool Latin for a year, and dc have *loved* it! It's taken about 10 min a day. We plan to take 3 years to progress through the units and then begin a more formal prgram when dc are in 2/3 grade. The purpose of us doing it now simply is to have fun and introduce them to some vocabulary and pronunciation. We do all of it orally and kinesthetically (e.g. Simon Says...). This coming year, I plan for ds to use some words as part of his handwriting practice.

[Jen in PA]

We just started Minimus (2nd grade). DD is loving it so far.

[The Governess]

We are using Song School Latin, starting in K, very informally. We will probably switch to a more formal curriculum starting halfway through first grade. But dd5 is working ahead of grade level across the board in language arts, otherwise I would probably wait until 3rd to start something formal.

[BillieBoy]

I started my dd at the same age as your ds is now with English from the Roots Up for vocabulary. She was a strong reader and we had already begun former grammar. We did a root a week for 2 years, slow but methodical. Then we began Latin for Children Primer A at age 7.

[Ester Maria]

Playfully, we started at 5-6, but it was really nothing huge. It was mostly mythology, learning the Greek alphabet and accents and writing random words, lots of random words and sayings in Latin and Greek, then a little grammar informally (declensions, indicative of main tenses, simple sentences and texts, etc.).

 

When they were in 3rd/4th grade, we made it a proper subject. They really knew a lot by then though, a lot of those playful things somehow happened to stick in their minds.

[MamaT]

All my kids started Latin in the 3rd grade, with the exception of ds #2 who started in the 2nd.

[mom2att]

Started dd with Latina Christiana in grade 3--no regrets. The plan for my boys is to start them both on Latina Christiana when the younger is in grade 3, the older in grade 5. That's two years away, so we'll see . . .

[japhmi]

We started last year, when DD was 5.

 

Latin can come any time after phonics. If they can read, they can start Latin. We used Prima Latina.

 

I disagree with the people who think that you need to wait until the kid has a handle on grammar. Latin is how we teach grammar, we don't have a separate grammar program.